AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



51 



Away down in perhaps this same 

 tree is an old hole or natural cavi- 

 ty. In this odd but comparatively 

 safe place, he builds his queer 

 little home — so different from those 

 of his cousins, the smaller fly- 

 catchers. With his nest-building is 

 linked a curios habit —a habit in- 

 dulged in by his forefathers from 

 the early ages, and which in all 

 probability will be connected with 

 the life-histories of his progeny in 

 centuries to come. No well-regu- 

 lated family of crested fly-catchers 

 will set up housekeeping without a 

 snake skin — an old, cast-off. snake- 

 skin, which it places in its nest in 

 much the same way that we would 

 place a horseshoe over our door- 

 way, and perhaps for the same 

 purpose. 



Ornithologists can not agree on 

 the object for this odd but estab- 

 lished custom of Myiarchus crini- 

 tus — whether he uses it as a scare- 

 crow for the benefit of inquisitive 

 squirrels, or whether it is his own 

 particular idea ' of ornamental 

 beauty. 



THE LEGEND. 



And it is written that Noah in 

 the last days took within the ark 

 of safety, of all animals, a male 

 and a female of each kind, and of 

 all birds a male and a female of 

 each kind, that aU might not be 

 destroyed, but that each kind 

 might be perpetuated on the face 

 of the earth. 



As Myiarchus (great crested fly- 

 catcher), with his heart full of mis- 

 chief, noted the arrival of each pair 



of birds, he noisily commended 

 his friends or strenuously objected 

 to his enemies until, to avoid fur- 

 thur annoyance, he and his mate 

 were taken inside. 



Now it so happened that Myiar- 

 chus and his wife Crinitus were 

 the first of all living creatures to 

 enter the much-talked-of-haven of 

 safety, while Pelias and his wife 

 Berus, the serpents, were the last 

 of all animals to gain admission. 



Myiarchus was well pleased with 

 this distinction, and being of an 

 egotistical nature, utterly over- 

 looked the motive that placed him 

 first on the list. 



Said Archus to his wife: "Crin- 

 itus, dost thou observe of how 

 much greater value and import- 

 ance are we than those lowly ones 

 who follow us.'' We shall demand 

 separate quarters and shall hold 

 aloof from all other birds. And — 

 mark thou, Crinitus — that Conto- 

 pus, Sayornis, Milvulus and Acad- 

 icus are only poor relation and 

 must be taught their proper places. 

 Use caution and judgement, how- 

 ever, when thou art in the pres- 

 ence of Cousin Tyrannus. He has 

 a vile temper and will surely re- 

 sent any inference that he is not 

 the real king bird. All others do 

 thou completely ignore. Deignest 

 thou not to look upon them." And 

 growing more conceited as the ark 

 continued its journey, Myiarchus 

 became abusive of all birds and 

 animals alike, and his vain boast- 

 ings and self-praise became un- 

 endurable. 



